This invention relates to a paper roll towel dispenser of the type which is capable of dispensing paper toweling and automatically dispensing paper from a reserve roll of toweling after a stub roll has been exhausted.
The invention provides a paper roll towel dispensing cabinet which includes a roll supporting cradle or bottom in which a stub roll is housed and a transfer mechanism which carries the free end of a reserve roll of paper toweling. After the stub roll is exhausted, the transfer mechanism operates automatically to dispense paper towel from the reserve roll of toweling. Such transfer assemblies in and of themselves are not new as disclosed in the Collins U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,982. However, most transfer mechanisms result in the transfer of toweling from both the reserve roll and the stub roll, whereas the present invention is designed such that the transfer mechanism only operates when the stub roll is exhausted.
The invention also relates to a method of dispensing toweling which is novel and conforms with the current ADA legislation for disabled persons. Additionally, the invention includes interior mechanism which provides for easy maintenance in the field, a desirable feature due to the fact that towel cabinets of the type set forth herein are commonly used in restaurant washrooms, gas station restrooms and other places where maintenance is sporadic and the level of skill of the maintenance people is not high.